ESRB Loot Box Warnings

The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), the organization that creates content ratings for games in North America, announced on Monday that they are adding a new ratings designation to account for loot boxes, gacha mechanics, and other randomized items. The new ratings label specifies if a game has in-game purchases with random items, which is an update to the previously broader "in-game purchases" warning label.

Back in 2018, the ESRB responded to calls for their ratings system to include the growing trend of loot boxes and other randomized purchases in games. Their original label of "In Game Purchases," while correct, failed to accurately explain games that had a random item feature, like Overwatch's loot boxes or Fortnite's Loot Llamas. The new designation - "In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)" - makes it clearer to consumers that the game includes purchases other than DLC, season passes, and other similar content.

The new rating will be assigned to video games that contain in-game offers that cost real money and have a randomized element (e.g., loot boxes, item packs, mystery awards). The warning will apply to games with “loot boxes, gacha games, item or card packs, prize wheels, treasure chests, and more,” the ESRB said.

Polygon asked the ESRB how they would handle a rating for a game that doesn't include random items at launch, but adds them later. The ESRB replied and said, "Publishers are required to inform ESRB if they intend to add in-game purchases, randomized or otherwise, that will affect the assigned rating information post-release. Once the changes are evaluated, ESRB updates the game’s rating information on esrb.org and requires the publisher to include the updated rating information on game packaging, item web pages, and pertinent marketing materials."

The ESRB's blog details what parents and consumers need to know about loot boxes and in-game purchases and includes an update with the new rating information. What do you think of in-game loot box/gacha purchases? Do you participate in those yourself? Let us know in the comments.

I'd think that should be an adults only rating. They are technically gambling at that point in regards to the "random items"? And does anywhere allow teens to gamble?

To a certain degree, I definitely agree with you - and that's definitely been the debate. IS this gambling? And if we define it as such, how far will that definition have to reach? Does it have to apply to randomized toy capsules as well? And so on.

A lot of these games tend to be suitable for kids/teens when you maintain just the free options, and I'm fairly certain there's still a lot of back and forth fighting about whether or not this type of mechanic should be banned altogether, if games containing random loot items should be rated for adults only, etc. I think the ESRB's new rating is a good step toward clarity, but this is definitely going to be an evolving part of the industry that will need to be frequently discussed.

I'd think that should be an adults only rating. They are technically gambling at that point in regards to the "random items"? And does anywhere allow teens to gamble?

To a certain degree, I definitely agree with you - and that's definitely been the debate. IS this gambling? And if we define it as such, how far will that definition have to reach? Does it have to apply to randomized toy capsules as well? And so on.

A lot of these games tend to be suitable for kids/teens when you maintain just the free options, and I'm fairly certain there's still a lot of back and forth fighting about whether or not this type of mechanic should be banned altogether, if games containing random loot items should be rated for adults only, etc. I think the ESRB's new rating is a good step toward clarity, but this is definitely going to be an evolving part of the industry that will need to be frequently discussed.

I think the one thing that toy capsules have in favor of them is once they are released, that is it, there is no changing what is in that capsule. The loot boxes, just like video gambling, can have their odds changed on the fly. So they can "tighten" and "loosen" the payouts and probably do, according to the person's habits or maybe according to some real world conditions. If they have this ability, and I don't see how they do not, it is my opinion they should be regulated/monitored just like any casino in Vegas is on such things.

I will say I am glad it is getting some attention. And if I'm remembering correctly, weren't some (or maybe just one) European countries considering banning it completely?

It absolutely does apply! It even applies to collectible cards like Magic: The Gathering, and "sports" cards that are in sealed packs. Any market that is able to fluctuate based on scarcity needs to go away. Stuff like the Stock "Market" and the Real Estate "Market" need to go away or be so rigidly controlled by Just, Compassionate Governments that not one human is ignorant of the entirety of all their facets: NO LOOPHOLES!!!